US 7,007,386 B1Granted

Light duty bearing assembly

AssigneeGeneral Sullivan Group, Inc.

InventorJohn C. Stover

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A method for mounting a light duty bearing having a groove defined in an outer arcuate surface thereof for receiving a metallic tolerance ring placed therein which includes protruding waves extending radially outwardly from the groove while the main band of the bearing is positioned preferably completely within the groove such that the bearing can be placed into a workpiece aperture to be movably mounted therein in a frictionally resisted manner such as required in light-duty applications where slight restricted movement between the bearing and the mounting aperture of the workpiece is desirable. The bearing assembly can be mounted in the workpiece aperture by exerting axial force against the inner race member or the outer race member to achieve the frictionally resisted mounting therebetween. The groove defined in the outer portion of the bearing is designed to receive and retain the tolerance ring therein during mounting in the workpiece aperture for greatly facilitating mounting.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A method for mounting a light duty bearing within a workpiece aperture to be frictionally movable therewithin comprising:

A. providing a bearing having an arcuate convex outer surface defining a groove extending circumferentially therearound and an inner race member rotatably movable with respect to the arcuate convex outer surface;
B. providing a tolerance ring of flexibly resilient metallic material including a main band section being ring-shaped and including a plurality of wave protrusions extending radially outwardly therefrom and being split laterally to define first and second longitudinal ends thereon;
C. exerting force on the tolerance ring to urge the first longitudinal end and the second longitudinal end thereof apart to further open the ring-shaped main band section thereof;
D. positioning of the tolerance ring into the groove defined in the arcuate convex outer surface of the bearing;
E. ceasing the exerting of force on the tolerance ring to allow the first and the second longitudinal ends thereof to resiliently move toward each other in order to allow the main band section to return to the steady state flexibly resilient configuration thereof while positioned the groove to facilitate retaining therewithin with the wave protrusions extending radially outwardly therefrom;
and
F. placing of the bearing with the flexibly resilient tolerance ring positioned within the groove defined therein with the wave protrusions thereof extending radially outwardly therefrom into abutting engagement with the aperture of the workpiece for exerting bias thereagainst sufficiently to allow a frictionally movable mounting of the bearing therewithin.

4 more elements

A method for mounting a light duty bearing within a workpiece aperture to be frictionally movable therewithin comprising:

A. providing a bearing with an inner race member rotatably mounted within an outer race member having an arcuate convex outer surface being generally cylindrically-shaped and further defining a generally circular groove extending circumferentially therearound;
with respect to the arcuate convex outer surface;
B. providing a tolerance ring of flexibly resilient metallic material including a main band section being ring-shaped and including a plurality of wave protrusions extending radially outwardly therefrom and being split laterally to define first and second longitudinal ends thereon and wherein the main band section of the tolerance ring is of a thickness not greater than the depth of the circumferential groove to facilitate retaining of the main band section completely within the circumferential groove responsive to positioning of the tolerance ring thereinto;
C. exerting force on the tolerance ring to urge the first longitudinal end and the second longitudinal end thereof apart to further open the ring-shaped main band section thereof;
D. positioning of the tolerance ring completely within the groove defined in the arcuate convex outer surface of the bearing with the wave protrusions extending outwardly radially therefrom;
E. ceasing the exerting of force on the tolerance ring to allow the first and the second longitudinal ends thereof to resiliently move toward each other to allow the main band section to return to the steady state flexibly resilient configuration with the first and second longitudinal ends positioned adjacent to one another while positioned the groove to facilitate retaining therewithin with the wave protrusions extending radially outwardly therefrom;
and
F. placing of the bearing by pressing thereof with the flexibly resilient tolerance ring positioned within the groove defined therein with the wave protrusions thereof extending radially outwardly therefrom into abutting engagement with the aperture of the workpiece for exerting bias thereagainst sufficiently to allow a frictionally movable mounting of the bearing therewithin.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/326,770Filed 20 Dec 2002
Granted: 7 Mar 2006
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

F16C 27/04
Elastic or yielding bearings or bearing supports, for exclusively rotary movement: ball or roller bearings, e.g. with resilient rolling bodies
F16C 33/586
Details of specific parts of races: outside the space between the races, e.g. end faces or bore of inner ring
F16C 19/06
For radial load mainly: with a single row or balls
F16D 1/0835
With radial loading of both hub and shaft by an intermediate ring or sleeve: due to the elasticity of the ring or sleeve